Fill in the blank with the correct adverb clause:
The new metro line made Kavya’s trip to college much shorter ______.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → than she had expected
Adverb clause of comparison:
- An adverb clause of comparison compares two things. After a word like shorter or better, it begins with than.
- Complete sentence: The new metro line made Kavya’s trip to college much shorter than she had expected.
- The clause has its own subject “she” and verb “had expected”, in that order.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: then she had expected — Incorrect. “Then” means “after that” or “at that time”. It cannot begin a clause of comparison. Example: We had lunch and then went to the market.
Option 2: as she had expected — Incorrect. “Shorter” is a comparing form, and it is always followed by “than”, not “as”.
Option 4: than had she expected — Incorrect. The option says “had she expected”. This is question order. In this clause the subject comes first: “she had expected”.